A neighbour who waged a campaign of harassment against the son of England cricket legend Colin Cowdrey has been ordered to pay more than half a million pounds after ruining the sale of his £3.85 million country home.
A 'Nightmare' Neighbour Dispute
Vanessa Gibson, 55, was found to have engaged in "unreasonable and oppressive" behaviour against Jeremy Cowdrey, 65, which a judge concluded amounted to a form of "blackmail". The dispute culminated in a hearing at Central London County Court where Mrs Gibson was ordered to pay £360,000 upfront for Mr Cowdrey's legal fees, on top of the £159,000 in compensation she was ordered to pay after a trial in July.
How the Property Sale Was Scuppered
The conflict began when Mrs Gibson purchased a strip of land that, bizarrely, meant she owned part of Mr Cowdrey's tennis court at his ten-acre estate in Goudhurst, Kent. Mr Cowdrey, who bought the Grade II-listed farmhouse in early 2022, had initially enjoyed a good relationship with his neighbour. However, after he decided to sell the property just months later, having found it was "not right" for him, the situation deteriorated dramatically.
Mr Cowdrey had secured a buyer willing to pay £3.85 million for the sprawling property, which includes a guest cottage, studio, barn, quadruple car port, and two lakes. The sale collapsed after Mrs Gibson sent a string of emails to the prospective purchasers, his lawyer, and his estate agent. In these communications, she made allegations about ongoing disputes concerning utility services and land covenants, which the judge later determined were false.
Court Findings and Consequences
During the trial, Mr Cowdrey stated that his neighbour had "terrorised" him, describing the constant complaints as akin to "the Japanese drip of water... a really horrendous experience." The judge found that Mrs Gibson had concealed her purchase of the land strip with the intention of using it to extract "unreasonable sums" from Mr Cowdrey to allow his property sale to proceed.
In a ruling last week, Mrs Gibson was given legally-binding undertakings restricting how and when she can contact Mr Cowdrey and was warned she could face prison if she fails to comply. The judge also ordered her to pay Mr Cowdrey's legal costs, a significant portion of which were assessed on the punishing indemnity basis due to her conduct during the litigation.
